Fate's Help
by ash612
Summary: After the battle of Farther Dûr, Eragon and Saphira traveled to Ellesmèra to meet the Mourning Sage. Under the wing of Oromis and Glaedr, they started to grow stronger, but Eragon still doubted that he could kill the King. While in Ellesmèra, he meets a girl with a heritage that may hide the answer to how the resistance could destroy the Empire. But will the elves accept her? ExOC
1. Prologue

**Prologue:**

With the cover of night, a cloaked figure riding a pure white steed galloped west through a dense forest. The only sound for miles was the steady beats of hooves and the heavy breathing of the rider. A sudden gust of wind blew the hood of the cloak back, revealing a young elf woman with silvery blonde hair and piercing ice blue eyes.

Close to dawn, the elf was greeted by flat barren land as the tall trees of Du Weldenvarden disappeared behind morning fog. Far off in the distance, the lady could see the steep mountains of the Spine sprout from the ground and a large body of water that laid at their feet.

After an hour of heavy riding, the lady reached the Anora River. She allowed her horse to drink while she stretched her legs. Once they were refreshed, the elf climbed back onto her horse and said,"Reisa." An instant later, they were lifted off the ground and the lady could feel the energy drain from her. As soon as they touched the ground on the other side of the raging river, they set off again towards the Spine.

It took the elf a week to reach her destination; Palancar Valley. She sat on her exhausted horse, over-looking the valley from the top of the Igauda Falls. She removed her cloak so she could look at the sling hanging across her torso. In the sling slept a baby. The elf stared at the child adoringly and whispered, "Ella, we're here."


	2. Meeting

**14 years later…**

Ella walked into a small forest clearing, letting the first sunrays of the day hit her face. She allowed her body to gracefully land onto the large tree trunk placed directly in the middle of the open space. Her eyes slowly shut as the sounds of nature filled her mind.

After only a few moments of silence, Ella felt a human presence. She immediately opened her eyes and found a boy her age standing directly in front of her. He looked about her age and had messy brown hair with deep brown eyes. The bow strapped to his back and the short dagger strapped to his belt indicated that he was a hunter. She would say he was quite attractive, even though his body was covered with dirt.

As quick as her elf abilities granted, she got up from her seat. Ella had made to run when she heard the boy speak.

. . . . . . . . . .

Eragon studied the girl sitting down on the stump in the clearing, trying not to make a sound while walking forward. He was surprised to see she had pointed ears. He's never seen an elf in person. The woman elves were supposed to be quite beautiful and this girl was no disappointment. She had long, light brown hair that gleamed like gold in the sunlight. She wore a pair of leather leggings and a simple ivory tunic that made her olive skin tone stand out.

Only a second after stepping into the clearing, the girl's eyes shot open, exposing her bright olive green eyes to the sun. She immediately got up with inhuman-like speed. For some reason, Eragon didn't want her to leave and forced himself out of shock to speak.

"Wait! Don't go. I mean you no harm," he said in a calming voice.

The elf stopped in her tracks and turned back around to face him.

"My name is Eragon. What's yours?"

. . . . . . . . . .

"_Should I trust him? He doesn't look like a threat, but what person, let alone boy, hunts in the Spine, the most feared forest in Alagaesia?"_ she thought to herself as she stared at Eragon with a blank expression on her face.

In a soft voice she whispered, "Ella." With that, she spun around and ran into the dark forest, glancing back at Eragon to make sure he wasn't following her. She kept running until around midday she reached another glaze. Off to the right side of the opening stood a petite house. Opposite of the house was a garden filled with lush plants.

After admiring the place she called home, Ella walked into the small house. Sitting on a chair in the kitchen was an older elf woman reading a book. Her hair was now a white silver color but it still had its beautiful shine. Ella couldn't help but smile as her mother, Verona, looked up at her.

"Back so soon?" her mother asked returning the cheery smile.

"I met someone," Ella said with a now more serious expression on her face.

"Hmm, that's odd. No one usually dares to come this far out into the Spine. Were they threatening?" Verona replied with a flicker of concern in her eyes.

"No actually. The person was just a boy, probably around my age, named Eragon. He was different than most human boys though."

"It sounds like my daughter has a little crush on this Eragon," her mother said mockingly.

"Mother!" Ella yelled as her face started to turn noticeably red.

. . . . . . . . . .

Eragon watched as Ella disappeared into the forest, leaving him with only her name. He sighed once then pivoted around to try to recover the tracks the limping deer left behind.


	3. The Dream

_**I'm walking through a dark forest, no sunlight shines through the tops of the eerie trees to illuminate my path. A sudden breeze swirls around my body, stealing the warmth from my limbs. As the wind disappears, a wave of fear replaces it. Quiet voices around me whisper my name in an almost enchanting way. I look around the menacing trees. In the distance, I see a pair of bright gold eyes. With a blink they're gone. I hear my name again, but this time it's coming from right behind me. A chill runs down my spine and my legs lunge forward to escape the source of the voice. Out of nowhere, a beam of white light emerges from thin air and blinds me. My eyes readjust to realize that I'm no longer in a forest, but in a village. I force my shaky body off the dirt floor to examine the new setting. The homes, or should I say huts, around me look quite large. The walls of the huts seemed to be made of dark clay and the roofs made of wood. I feel the same wave of fear wash over me as I explore the deserted village. On the far end of the road I'm walking on stands a figure with the same gold eyes, boring into me. The person doesn't say a word. With frustration and fear weaved into my voice, I scream, "Who are you? Why are you following me?" Not a sound breaks from the figure. Then I feel them brush my conscience. They try to break in and though I try to protect myself as best as I can, they succeed. A calming male voice reverberates throughout my mind. "Ella, do not be afraid. I simply come to warn you. Great evil thrives around you and you must be prepared to face it. Your mother has taught you well in the ways of the elves and gramarye, but you must learn the other half of your heritage in order to unlock your full potential. When the time is right, I will ask you to come with me to learn. Until that time, stay safe, my child." His strong conscience finally withdrew from my mind and the figure started to fade away. **_

. . . . . . . . . .

Ella woke with a start and would've fallen off her bed if her mother wasn't at the bedside steadying her. The shadowy image of Ella's room and the faint white glow of moonlight on her mom's hair told her that it was still night.

"Ella, are you alright? I heard you yelling from my bedroom," her mother said, her worried eyes staring tiredly at Ella. Ella looked back at her, but while her mom was talking, all she could hear was the sound of the man's words echoing throughout her brain.

"Yes, I'm fine, just a bad dream," she replied, deciding not to share what it was about with her mom just yet.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes mother, I am sure. Please, do not worry about it. It was truly nothing," Ella tried to assure her, adding a small smile when she was finished.

"Okay then, but if you need me, I will always be here for you," she stated, patting Ella's leg as she gracefully left her daughter's gloomy room, her silky silver nightgown flowing behind her.

Concluding that she could no longer fall asleep, Ella turned on an elegant lamp planted on the nightstand beside her bed. She then grabbed the large book also located on the small piece of furniture and started reading. Like during the small conversation with her mother, her mind kept wondering to the dream she just had.

"_Who was that man from my dream? What does he know about my heritage? What does he want to teach me? Should I believe in the words he said?" _These questions roamed around Ella's brain until the first break of dawn_. _

In her now brightly lit room, Ella reeled out of her comfortable bed and walked to her dresser. She chose a simple olive blouse and tan trousers from her collection of clothing and quickly slipped them on. Ella then stepped out of her bedroom into a short hallway leading to the kitchen.

When she noticed her mom wasn't awake yet, she decided to go out to the garden to pick some fresh vegetables for breakfast. Ella glided through the kitchen, picking up a woven basket laying on the counter as she walked out the front door. Although the sun was still hidden behind the steep mountains of the Spine, vibrant colors of orange, pink, and yellow painted the sky.

After admiring the beautiful scenery, Ella set out towards the petite garden. When she finished selecting a wide variety of vegetables, Ella twirled around to see her mother watching her from the doorway of the house. In her hands were two cups of hot tea. Her mom smiled cheerfully at her and motioned her with one of the full cups in her hand to come inside.

The smell of herbs and steaming vegetables filled the house. Ella wouldn't say she was the best cook, but under her mother's wing, she became quite good at it. Neither one of them spoke as they finished their meal. They didn't want to drown out the sounds of nature awakening. Then they heard it.

Coming from what sounded like the garden was a loud crack. They both hurried out their home to find the source. They ran over to the garden to find a deep pocket embedded into the earth. Around the gap, limbs of overgrown plants were singed. Ella and her mother cautiously stepped forward to look down into it. There, in the middle of the hole, laid a young cream colored dragon surrounded with sparkling gold remains of supposedly a dragon egg.


	4. New Friend

With deep, brilliant gold eyes, the pearl dragon looked up at Ella and her mother from the bottom of the ditch.

While still studying the hatchling, who was now trying to climb up the walls of the crater, Ella's excited mother asked, "Do you know what this means?"

Ella, who was unwilling to tear her gaze away from the little dragon, shook her head.

Her mother turned to face Ella and while motioning to the dragon with her hand, she said, "Stroke its head."

Ella looked at her mother warily then turned back and leaned over slowly to reach for the glistening dragon. Its scales reflected the pastel colors of the sky and its eyes gleamed brighter than the sun. She marveled at the creature for another second and extended her hand. The dragon lifted its slender head to her hand and a blast of burning white light cut across the clearing.

Ella pulled back quickly as a searing pain shot from her palm to the rest of her body. She felt as though she was shocked by lightning as a burst of power coursed through her. After a few minutes, the uncomfortable sensation finally left her body, but it left behind an iridescent oval outline on her palm. She stared at it dumbfounded as she finally grasped what happened.

She struggled to find words to say, but Ella was finally able to murmur, "I…I…I'm a rider."

"Yes you are, my daughter. You should be honored. Dragons only hatch for those with pure hearts and strong minds," her mother said smiling, after recovering from her fall caused by the gust of energy.

"I just can't believe it," Ella whispered to herself.

Ella noticed the young dragon had dimensions larger than the hatchlings described in a book her mom had lent her. The book said the average dragon hatchlings were the size of medium dogs, but this one was at least the size of a miniature pony. It took both Ella and her mother to lift the dragon out of the hole and place it on a pile of burnt plants. From out of the ditch, Ella was able to study its body in more depth. It had long, muscular legs with a tone body and lengthy wings. The dragon seemed a tad disproportioned, but Ella figured that as it grows, its body will even out.

"Ella, wait here, I have a gift for you."

Ella watched as her mom disappeared into their house. She then felt starved and realized the sensation was coming from the dragon. "You must be hungry," she laughed, rotating back around to look at the dragon's rumbling stomach. "I don't blame you. You've probably been cramped in that egg for decades. Well, my mother and I only eat plants, so we will have to find some food for you in the forest," she stated, not liking the idea of having to kill an animal. The dragon licked its sharp teeth as a wave of excitement washed into Ella's mind.

Verona returned with a beautifully crafted scabbard resting in her hands. When she walked closer, Ella noticed that the sword hilt was made of a light gold metal that shined so brightly, it almost blinded her when she gazed upon it.

"This was my old sword. Though it does not compare to a rider's sword, it is still of good quality. The elves crafted it so it should serve you well until you find yourself a proper sword," her mother recited formally, pushing her hands forward to offer it to Ella.

Ella took the sword graciously and studied the blade as she unsheathed it. The weapon flashed in the sunlight as Ella gracefully slashed the air. Ella would say she was a skilled swordsman, but she was more proficient at archery and gramarye.

"Thank you mother. I am honored that you trust me with your old sword. If you don't mind, I'm going to look for some food in the woods for my new companion," Ella said to Verona as she glanced back at the dragon staring up at them.

"Alright, but be careful. Even after 14 years I still don't trust these forests."

"Okay, I will," and with that, she ran inside their home and snatched the bow and arrows rested on the kitchen table. When she got outside, she almost tripped over the dragon waiting outside of the door.

"I think he wishes to accompany you," Verona said, giggling to herself.

Ella grinned at the enthusiastic dragon and started walking, knowing the dragon is trailing behind her.

. . . . . . . . . .

Ella laid in her bed until she felt the dragon laying on the wood floor brush her conscience. She sat up straight and gazed at her partner, who grew two feet in the past week. "Good morning," she breathed, stretching her arms above her head.

_Good morning Ella,_ the cream dragon said inside Ella's mind with a smooth, male voice.

Ella's eyes instantly widened. "That's the first time you communicated with words!" she exclaimed, her face now gleaming with joy.

_Yes it is, bright one_. The dragon's gold eyes also reflected happiness.

"Now that I know you are male, how about we choose a name? Do you know any that you might prefer?" Ella asked excitedly.

_Hmm, well the only names I know are those from the books you read me and those didn't seem to suit me. Do you know any that you think I might like? _

"Let's see if I remember any." Ella tapped her chin while she thought about the stories her mother told her and the men she met while she went into town. "There's Vidor, Magnus, Nahir, Gauthier, and Gyan. Do you fancy any of those?"

_Gyan. Yes, I would like to be called Gyan._


End file.
